AMY & VINCE - TOOGOOD!

Illinois Leader ^ | 9/23/2002 | Kevin McCullough

[StarfireIV]

Your references to hypocrisy well reasoned even if you are looking for a perfect person other than Christ himself to admire. PS you won't find one. I do, however disagree with the whole Clinton argument.
Here's why.
Clinton told the country he "...did not have sexual relations with...", he also lied to congress, and used his office as a means of evading the court. In short, it was not the infidelity that got so many people up in arms about the Lewinsky business, it was the abuse of power, the public denials, the lying under oath, and the fact that he ultimately got away with it which angrered so many.
In many ways, I think picking on an entertainment figure for decisions they make in their personal lives is just as ridiculous as trying to emulate them. If you don't like her music for the reasons you mentioned, wrap up all your CDs, tapes, records, etc. and send them to her record label with a letter explaining why you have done this.

[Fighting Irish]

Excellent........I was going to respond but knew the regulars here would pen it better than I could.

ElephantLips: As far as the "purity" of christian entertainers...

1) I don't buy christian pop albums any longer. Call it age, taste change, whatever.....

2) If you think record execs give a rip about the purity of their signed artists....get your head out of the sand. It may have been ministry in the 70's but it's all about $$$ now. There are only a handful of labels still committed to the solid lives of their artists.

3) What exactly is the difference between secular and christian? Read Franky Shaffer's "Addicted To Mediocrity" before you respond.

I don't claim to have seen it all....but I've seen quite a bit out there in the world of "Nationally Recognized Ministry" and I'll give you a clue...it ain't all holy what goes on behind closed doors.

Only God is holy. The only thing worth your time is following Jesus. The rest is all fluff.

[JenB]

Backing up your comment... my parents know Amy's current "opening act", Fernando Ortega, fairly well. I don't like the guy myself but he's not the sort who would tour with an unrepentant adulterer. Amy may have made some mistakes, but she wasn't as at fault as this article makes out.

Plus, her new worship album is great. I love her rendition of "This is my father's world"!

[AppyPappy]

And......it was their business.....

It stopped becoming "their business" when they took it on the road. It's the price of fame.

[AppyPappy]

I've always wondered if Amy's vows to Vince included "And I really mean it this time".

[JenB]

From the little I know - which isn't much - her marriage was an abusive relationship and had been for some time. I don't support divorce, but I don't support a woman staying with a husband who abuses her. It's not good for her or her children.

[decimon]

This person should have made a decision whether he wanted to write about Amy, Ms. Toogood, or Miss America.... My head is spinning trying to find one thing that ties any of these subjects together.

They're all "travelers."

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I never bought into Amy Grant.

Never liked her music. Never spent a dime thereupon.
Never believed her bought-and-paid-for "pop testimony".

I always chose my music on three bases:

• I dig the Music -- Art is a Gift from God.
• I dig the Lyrics -- Singers will rise and fall; pick poetry you can believe in.
• It fits the Mood -- Music soothes the savage beast. Know that which you require. Take it. Use it. Feed upon it.

And so now, Amy Grant can spin her tunes in a sordid attempt to justify her adulteries:

---

Amy Grant, chorus, "It Takes a Little Time:"
It takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you're not going down
It takes more than you've got right now
Give it time

---

My so-called "Secular" or "Carnal" Music serves me just as well as it always has. Amy Grant's fans may have to "justify their love", but as for me and my car....

Volume dial goes all the way to 39, and the pedal goes all the way to the floor. Crank it, boyz...

---

METALLICA, chorus, "To Live Is To Die"
When a Man Lies He Murders
Some Part of the World
These Are the Pale Deaths Which
Men Miscall Their Lives
All this I Cannot Bear
to Witness Any Longer
Cannot the Kingdom of Salvation
Take Me Home???

---

"Christian Contemporary Music" is strangling on the weight of its own hypocrisy.

Good riddance to bad luggage.

[sinkspur]

"Christian Contemporary Music" is strangling on the weight of its own hypocrisy.

I never much got this "Christian Music" thang either.

I can get ethereal on Tony Bennett or Alan Jackson. Or Vince Gill, for that matter.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Thank you.

[Valpal1]

So Mr. Chapman was a lousy husband. That makes it okay to wreck Mrs. Gill's marriage.

Your husband's nicer than mine, so I'm taking him!

[flying Elvis]

What about Vince's ex-wife. I remember when they split up, she told the press that he was having an affair with Amy Grant but no one believed her.

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

I never much got this "Christian Music" thang either. I can get ethereal on Tony Bennett or Alan Jackson. Or Vince Gill, for that matter. ~~ 29 posted on 9/23/02 6:12 PM Pacific by sinkspur

Saint Augustine, who was allegedly the first Doctor of the Faith according the the Roman Catholic accounting of Saints, had a great Saying:

"LOVE GOD, and DO WHAT YOU WANT."

Sounds crazy, No? According to our modern understanding, sounds like a recipe for Godless Heathenism, right?

Anyone who thinks that, is not paying attention to the first half of the Proverb:

LOVE GOD...
...and then do what you want.

Too often today, we follow an intensely legalistic standard of "christianity". Shop at the "christian" Office Supply stores. Purchase "Christian" Music. Johnny Cash? A Definite "maybe". Better be careful!! And Frank Sinatra? Get thee to a "christian" artist... Sinatra is not "christian" enough!!

In short, we treat Christian Ethical Life as though it were a matter of nailing the 20-spot on a bar-room dart-board... better hit "God's Will" exactly, or you're not a "true christian".

Saint Augustine said that the Christian Life incorporated a lot more ethical Freedom... it's not like "hitting the 20-spot on a bar-room dart-board", it's more like hitting the broad side of a barn -- the important thing is that you are ACTUALLY AIMED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. The Important and Overriding thing is to Love God ("this is the first and greatest commandment") and on that basis, "do what you want".

That is both more DEMANDING and more LIBERATING than American Legalistic Christianity. Let EVERY thought be brought Captive to the Obedience of Christ. This is the first and greatest Commandment.

On upon that basis... Love God, and Do what you Want.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.

LOVE THE LAW OF GOD.... and do what you want.

Is Sinatra "christian"? Is Johnny Cash "christian"?

Exercise Discernment.

LOVE GOD.

And then... do what you Want.

[Jaidyn]

I read it your way. I was disappointed, not so much in her, but in my perception of her. She was someone I wished I could be more like. Though I am divorced, it was because of an abusive husband and an adulter. Throughout my marriage, I never once considered adultery, especially with another married man. I know how I hurt, how my children hurt and I could never do that to other people. That was a long time ago and my rewards are having loving sons who are excellent husbands and fathers to their children. It would have been easy to make myself happy in the then-present, but there would be no happiness for me now.....and for the most part, I am happy.

[Corin Stormhands]

Amy may have made some mistakes, but she wasn't as at fault as this article makes out.

Maybe not. But she did "begin" her relationship with Gill pretty soon "after" she split with Chapman. I don't fault her for making mistakes. Probably the only difference between Amy Grant and a lot of Christians is that not all of us make the headlines.

Still, she could've used better judgement and could've thought longer about what this might do to her witness.

What I find interesting is how these "stars" have all been treated differently within the recording community. Michael English was shunned, but Sandi Patti was not. To her credit, Sandi did take some time off and has talked openly about what happened.

It's the danger of "Christian" performance that's the problem. That bumper sticker is very trite, but also true. "Christians aren't perfect. Just forgiven." We're all prone to stumble. But where God forgives, the world often does not.

That should be a sobering reminder to anyone who is a "professional" Christian.

[slimer]

Amen.

[ladyinred]

Thank you or your comments. As one whose stepson worked for many years for Vince Gill, I must say he is one of the kindest men in the business I have ever met. And I have been around several of the country artists backstage where fans usually are not. What was going on between him and Amy for years was friendship. Amy had a lousy marriage to a womanizing drug addict. I am very happy for Gil and Amy, and I cannot for the life of me understand why so many Christians have no forgiveness in their hearts, IF there is anything to forgive.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

"Bruce Springsteen and other artists as well who are not as popular post-divorce. "

HUH??? That most certainly was not the case with Bruce Springsteen

[Ditter]

Oh good grief, I thought this was going to be about Madelyn Toogood, the woman who beat her child in the parking lot. I am curious about the Irish gypsies that they are said to be a part of.

(Sounding like Gilda Radners little old lady character)

"Never mind"!

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

As one whose stepson worked for many years for Vince Gill, I must say he is one of the kindest men in the business I have ever met. And I have been around several of the country artists backstage where fans usually are not. What was going on between him and Amy for years was friendship. Amy had a lousy marriage to a womanizing drug addict.

Well, bowl me over. A "nice man". Isn't that special.

As it happens, June Cash married a womanizing drug addict.

"She prayed over Johnny and she prayed around Johnny and she prayed with Johnny, until Johnny found salvation."

"June saved my life," Johnny Cash says simply.

They have been married 34 years.

AMY GRANT?!?! Yeah, right.... You aren't even fooling yourself. Everybody knows this is make-believe excuses for Adultery, AND YOU DO ALSO.

Amy and Vince are a hedonistic fraud. Houses built on sand....

(as always, JMHO)...